For the first time the Focolare’s Youth for a United World and their United World Project take part in the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum held in Paris, France on October 29-31, 2013. Five hundred young people from 150 countries took part in a workshop by and for young people, which has been meeting biyearly since 1999. The forum, which is an integral part of the UNESCO General Conference, aims at creating synergies among United Nations organizations and other organizations and public institutions that work in the youth sector.

Main topics of the 8th forum: “Young people and social inclusion: civil involvement; dialogue and skills development,” which were chosen through an online survey of the 2500 young people. In line with the UNESCO operating strategy for young people 2014-2021, recommendations were presented to the 195 member states at the 37^th UNESCO General Conference which met on November 5-20, 2013. Moreover, this year the young people chose 15 action projects – IED from the five UNESCO “regions” – that were given the label Youth Forum UNESCO.

Contatti attraverso lo United World Project con l’UNESCO  c’erano già stati presso 11 commissioni nazionali negli scorsi mesi. Tutti passi di un cammino di conoscenza reciproca che continua.Stella from Hong Kong, Anne Cecile from France and Joaquin from Argentina were members of the Youth for a United World delegation (youth section of the New Humanity NGO), whose attendance had been propelled by the work that is being carried out with the United World Project, launched last year at the Genfest in Hungary, promoting universal brotherhood in various environments.

At the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the Youth for a United World reported a “revolution” in putting up the organisation of the forum with an invasion of young volunteers. The work carried out in the work groups and in the plenary session was characterized by an exchange of experiences and good practices. Among the recommendations that were accepted was one from the Youth for a United World: “the promotion of intergenerational opportunities, as a fruit of living for fraternity,” reported Joaquin.

The conference concluded with the speech by the president of the Katalin Bogyay General Conference who spoke at the Genfest in Budapest about a traditional African teaching called Ubuntu (I am because we are). The next phase of the United World Project will be held on May 1^st in Nairobi and be called: Sharing With Africa.  Stella went on to say: “These words had particular resonance for us,” because “such occasions allow us to see that there is a path toward a united world here as well. Different, yes, but so involved in solving problems together, like one big family.”